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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · last · can · chest · vault · scale · patient · game

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — to be able to
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. can — a tin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — a match
  15. last — final
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. last — finally
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chest — a box
  22. perch — the fish
  23. last — to go on
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com